On May 19th, 1,000 miles away and at much higher altitude from GIG-Texas-Spring, Girls in Gis Denver II was also underway. Our prior attempt to host Girls in Gis event in Denver was snowed out in February and left many disappointed. However, GIG was determined to come back to Colorado and make it up to everyone that missed out on the first round. This time there was no snow in the forecast! Girls in Gis events are designed to bring females in the community together and to provide an enjoyable and informative Jiu-Jitsu experience. That’s exactly what happened.
We opened with the welcoming reception which explained the purpose of GIG. Then the sixty women and girl participants got to know each other and shared their love for Jiu-Jitsu. A fun-filled warm-up and “ice breaker” got everyone comfortable with each other and helped them to forget about any nerves they may have had walking into an unexpected new situation!
Next up was the instructional portion led by the Easton Women’s team, composed of Rossie Snow, Milly Malloy, Elizabeth Tran and Jennifer Perez. Their exceptional teaching skills and warm-hearted nature was apparent. 
Next, it was time for some games and giveaways from our sponsor Eidos Clothing Company. Our first physical challenge was the GIG hand-stand which was won by Ashtian Fleischhacker with 2.9 min! She took home the Eidos Clothing Company hoodie! Next up was the GIG frog leap race, won by Carolyn Thompson. Her prize was an Eidos Clothing Company t-shirt. The final physical challenge was for our lil’ Girls in Gis 18 years of age or younger. Kate Steward proved to be the fastest Crab walker and also took home an Eidos Clothing Company t-shirt. The giveaways ended with some GIG patch raffles and then it was on to some rolling!
Girls in Gis events are free BJJ training opportunities for women and girls, however we believe strongly in giving back and supporting local charities. As previously, GIG teamed up with SafeHouse Denver and 
raised $335 and a ‘boat load’ of donations. They could barely fit on the table. The generosity and support of our participants was amazing! SafeHouse Denver was tremendously grateful for our contribution. It is so powerful to see how much of a difference we can all make when working together for a better tomorrow. Thank you all for your donations!
Finally, no one left empty handed thanks to our wonderful sponsor Cocona. Each and every participant was given a free fleece and the remaining ones were also donated to SafeHouse. Cocona has to be one of the softest fleeces around and it’s made from coconut! None of this would have been possible if not for our sponsors Eidos Clothing Company and Cocona. Thank you for being a part of GIGCO-Denver II.
The growth and momentum of GIG is endless, but what helps us become bigger and better each event is the feedback we get from our participants. Our events are designed to bring together the community, build solidarity, provide leadership opportunities, increase the female presence in the art and pave the way to equality by expanding the sport for females everywhere.
We were reminded by a mother at this event, that we also provide opportunities for young girls to find role models. That’s why GIG has now officially opened our first chapter outside the state of Texas, Girls in Gis Colorado! We’d like to welcome all of you to the family. With the support of the Colorado BJJ community, our chapter captain Milly Malloy and all of the amazing women and girls in Colorado, we look forward to many years of GIG events! And this is just the beginning…look for GIG coming to your state soon!
Thank you Easton Training Center, Easton Women’s team, Eidos Clothing and Cocona for making this possible. Thank you also to the Colorado BJJ community and all of our 61 participants for joining us! See you again soon!